Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

Interrogation

It felt like the house had become a fortress once Will had returned. Either him, Ezekiel, or Oscar was always around me, and Oscar had been talked down from hiring Pinkertons to guard the house. Will was around me the most though, and he could barely get through my description of the attack. "I had just managed to stab my hat pin into his arm when he hit me and, well, called me a bitch."

"Damnaibh e gu slochd a's ìsle ifrinn," Will muttered, shoving himself up from the chair. "Tha mi airson a sgòrnan dona a shlaodadh."

"Do I want to know what you said?"

"No, just finish it."

I sighed, brushing my fingers against my cheek. It wasn't as tender today, even if it was getting darker. "There isn't much more, Oscar came charging in and managed to handle things. He brought all of us home and has been here dealing with everything."

Will caught my fingers, peering closely at my bruise. "Ana, are you sure you're ready to deal with this?"

"If I don't Will, it will never get done." I shifted, "But it does still hurt."

"And your vision? Your memory?"

"All fine, and the pain in my head is gone." I still had to shake my head slowly or it would come back, but I hadn't had to do much of that lately. I tried to smile, "Really, it's just the bruise now. And it's gone down."

"The swelling, yes. But it's so dark." He sat next to me, putting an arm around me. I cuddled close to his chest, simply breathing him in. He smelled of his pipe, he'd been smoking it more often lately. It was at least rather comforting, especially when he pulled me even tighter to him. His voice was low, a rumble that I could feel. "I was so scared when I got the wire, Captain Fraser almost confined me to my quarters. But I couldn't be still, I needed to do something." My eyes were closed, and I could feel his hand running up and down my back. "I didn't sleep for two days, and even on the third I barely got an hour. And then I was here, and your poor mother was half out of her mind when I came in." I mumbled something, burrowing against his chest. "And Oscar was sleeping on the damn floor in front of your bedroom door."

"He hasn't left since it happened." I muttered, "Nor had Ezekiel."

"And I'm grateful to them for it, but finding Oscar there." He shook his head, "It's a lot for a man to see his fiancée's former suitor taking on the role of protector." His breath came out of him in on big blow. "I should have been with you, I could have saved you."

"I wouldn't have let you come anyway." I pushed myself up, looking him in the eye. "I was getting you something." I ignored his spluttered remark that I shouldn't be doing anything, and moved to my dressing room. I came back with the box in my hands, "I'm sorry the corner of the box was damaged during the attack, but everything inside is still fine."

"I don't give a damn about it." He grumbled, but he did take the box and untangle the packing string.

I watched as he took out the new shoes, the trousers, the sword, the hat, and when he held up the coat I could see him swallow thickly. "I wanted you to have a new uniform for the wedding, and I thought you might like to have something personal to it." I watched him open the breast of it and trace the lining. His mouth was working, but no words were coming. "I didn't think you'd want to wear a kilt, as much as I would like to see that."

"Ana." He placed the coat back in the box, standing. "Come here." I stepped forward, and he crushed me to him. "You didn't need to do this." I was about to reply but he shook his head. "I don't need this Ana. It's not that I don't appreciate it, it must have taken so much work even if you didn't sew it, but if you hadn't-" His voice caught in a sob. "If you hadn't done this, you wouldn't have been almost kidnapped."